Freedom Academy - Echo Yearbook (Freedom, ME)

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winners were announced. Suddenly it came--the shock that nearly caused me to faint! I had won! I had sort of figured if I did win, it could be no higher than 3rd prize. And now, best of all, I seemed to be one of the gang, for the kids all crowded around and loudly and lovingly con- gratulated me. I stepped forward happily and ac- cepted the 3100. Soon after we left to go home, but iirst, Mother and I went downtown to get some candy, popcorn, and a few little things for the children to play with out of my EB12. As mother and I walked home hand in hand, we both noticed how much more the North Star seemed to twinkle-as if it too was smiling for Tommy. Nancy McKenney '54 MISSING IN ACTION A little old lady sat contentedly rocking in her small chair, knitting, and looking out the window period- ically, as though expecting someone. The mailman appeared and she jumped out of her chair with a leap, belying her age. She was expecting a letter from her Baby who, though twenty-one years of age, was still a child to herg and was now far away fighting 011 the battle front in Korea. The mailman was slowly walking up the path as though a depressing thought was weighing down his mind. The old lady, not noticing this, yelled a cheery good afternoon. Not looking up he said, Afternoon, Mam, and hesitatingly handed her a letter. She looked carefully at the postmark and saw it was from Wash- ington. Though not from her son, she opened it immediately. Suddenly she saw the words Missing In Action, leap up--then blur. She gasped, swayed, and the letter, released by her nerveless fingers, fiuttered away in the breeze. As she sank to the floor, the last words she gasped were My Baby! Missing In Action! Carolyn Cates '55 THE NIGGLING NURSE In the fall of 48 , I went to Mex- ico to go to Nursing School. The name of the school was The Noc- turnal Nursing School for Noddy Nuts. There were seventy-Iive en- rolled in my class. At the beginning of the first se- mester, I was considered the head of my class, but by the end of the year I was considered the heel of it. My teacher's name was fand would you believe itll Mrs. Mattie Mopp, whom we nicknamed, Ringlets. And WAS she a tartar!! Finally I graduated from The Nocturnal Nursing School for Noddy Nuts. On my diploma was printed in bold type ON CONDITION. Soon after finishing I received a job as the Public Health Nurse in Ningpo, China. I was assigned to twelve schools in the district of Jih-

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The day arrived all too soon when the names were called for those Who could enter the contest. I sat tense as I waited for the professor to come in. As my name was called, I watched and could even feel the expressions that went over all the faces. They hadn't believed that I could possibly win. I could hear the short Oh! from Sally Smith, the most snobbish girl in the class. I was happy as I left the building that night, but, suddenly, I remem- bered I had gone only the first step so far. Then the next thought struck me hard--I'd have to have a new evening gown! How impossible this seemed! I knew that Dad could never afford to buy me one and all I had was 312. Not nearly enough! My steps slowed as I neared home. Every step of the long Way, I had tried my best to figure out a way to get the dress. And all the way there seemed none. The first things that met my eyes as I opened the door were the faces of those I loved. They had believed in me! In answer to their eager ques- tions I told them that I had won, but there was no hope of my accepting because I had nothing to wear. That night I had to sit up rather late and study, although my mind was not upon my work. I noticed that Mother sat up, too, and sort of urged the children to bed sooner than usual. Finally the last one was tucked in and Dad also went to bed. She came to the table and, looking at me, said, Listen, dear, my wed- ding dress has not been soiled a bit! lf we could get someone to make it over to fit you ...... Oh no, Mother, that is your most- prized possession! We could never touch that. ' But, listen, my dear, I love my children much more than I love any dress. And with that, she left the room. Returning, she carried in her arms a medium-sized blue box. Opening it carefully, with loving hands she took out the pale pink, satin wed- ding gown which I had so many times longed to try on. We sat up late that night. We had to Work hard, for it was already Thursday and the contest was Sat- urday. The gown fit me as perfectly as it had mother. We took the tucks out of the waist of the gown and gathered it, making a full skirt. A wide sash tied around the Waist with a bow in back. It had puff sleeves and a small open collar with three white roses on the side. In my hair, which I had let fall loosely in curls about my shoulders, I planned to wear a white rose. Somehow I felt that the rose symbolized Tommy. The night of the contest I was trembling as I neared the front of the audience. But truthfully, there was not a more beautiful gown present! My heart beat swiftly as I noticed the approving nods from the crowd. Mom had come to the contest, but Dad had stayed with the children. It seemed days before the judge finally returned and the names of the

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pen. There my first assignment was a visitation to a distant school in said district. Here a rash had brok- en out among the children which no one was able to controll, so I looked into the matter. I at once diagnosed it, the itch , but later discovered it was the measles. So I was discharged. At once the authorities urged me to seek a new job, but not until the whole town was quarantined. I left that town, then I found another Nursing job. But strangely, I soon was discharged from that. I never could understand why, but I guess it was on account of my good looks. You see, I was five foot one, I only weighed 162, had coal black hair, which I had cut in the latest fashion -a boyish bob with bangs. This was in the days of short skirts, and I really did justice to all the latest fashions. I wore glasses to help straighten my cross eyes. You see, I knew I was quite a beauty even without considering the added at- traction of my Roman nose. Well, now my nursing career is almost at an end, except for this my last case. I am now nursing a sick dog. I must look at him at once. Oh, well, the dog is dead so I guess my career is at an end. Delta Fowler '55 TRUTH'S GREAT REWARD In the slums of a large city there lived a young girl. Her most impor- tant job was taking care of her younger brothers and sisters. She had been left in care of them since she was 12. Her mother and father had been killed on their way to a big party. Since then Mary knew her job would be to do her best for the ones she so dearly loved. There were four sisters and two brothers. Bob, the oldest brother who was 15,, tried his best to sup- port them. The smaller brothers and sisters all looked to Mary for faith and comfort to live on. She taught them as well as possible the things which would help them most in their life. They could not go to school because of their poor clothes. One night when Mary was very tired and forlorn from her long day of work, she decided to take a walk. She left her brother, Bob, in charge of the children. While she was walking she saw something lying in the street. She picked it up quickly and found it was a brown wallet! She opened it and there before her eyes were Oh so many bills! She had never seen so many in her life before! Her fingers smoothed the bills as she stared at the money. She turned and went quickly home. When her brother Bob discovered what she had found, they wondered what they should do with it. They sat up long that night and discussed the matter. Poor Bob was so dis- couraged that he said, Why not keep it? No one needs it worse than we!